News & Reviewshttp://news.malinjames.com
Malin JamesFri, 16 Jun 2017 02:49:13 +0000en-UShourly187459735New Release: The Reward (Book 3) by Jade A. Watershttp://news.malinjames.com/2017/06/15/new-release-reward-book-3-jade-waters/
http://news.malinjames.com/2017/06/15/new-release-reward-book-3-jade-waters/#respondFri, 16 Jun 2017 02:49:13 +0000http://news.malinjames.com/?p=378Back in December, I had the happy honor of helping Jade A. Waters celebrate the release of the first book in her Lessons in Control series, The Assignment. Seven months later, I have the equally happy honor of helping her celebrate the release of the last book in the series, The Reward. It’s no secret […]

]]>Back in December, I had the happy honor of helping Jade A. Waters celebrate the release of the first book in her Lessons in Control series, The Assignment. Seven months later, I have the equally happy honor of helping her celebrate the release of the last book in the series, The Reward.

It’s no secret that Jade and I are close – we both came up in erotica at around the same time and have supported each other every step of the way. That’s why I’m so, so thrilled about this release in particular – it marks the culmination of a massive undertaking, one that Jade slayed. That’s just a goddamn happy thing.

Jade is a meticulous writer and watching her work through the arc of this trilogy was nothing short of inspiring. I picked her brain about the process (and a ton of other things) in that post way back in December, so, rather than do the same thing again, I wanted to put the work itself front and center. So, here is a beautiful except from the third beautiful book in her beautiful series.

If haven’t read them yet, there are links below where you can find all three. And it you’ve already read Book 1 and Book 2, get after Book 3. Seriously. Do it. It’s the perfect hot summer read.

Excerpt

I returned to the bottom of the stairwell, shivers racing along my arms both at the view of Dean still reading on the couch, and the rope I held in such a tight grip in my hand that the coils dug into my palm. The last week between us had been close, and Dean had been my rock—but with the almost two weeks he’d been gone before that, it’d been such a long time since we’d played the way we both loved. I’d been naked all over this house, but crossing the floor to him now, knowing what was to come, had me wet when I came to face him in the living room.

I stopped directly in front of Dean’s knees. He peeked over the top of his paper at me, his eyes raking from my face to the tops of my breasts and lowering when he tipped the paper down a few inches to clear his view. He was obviously doing his best to torture me, given the hint of a smirk he revealed before going right back to his reading, and standing naked in front of him while he remained clothed had the hairs on my arms standing up in anticipation.

Fortunately, I knew how to get his attention.

I dropped to my knees, then shuffled on the carpet until my breasts pressed flush to the rough texture of his jeans. After resting the rope on the seat of the couch beside him, I slid my palms up Dean’s thighs and straight to his pelvis, where I started to unfasten his jeans.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting what I need,” I said, slowing my words and using the sultriest voice I could muster.

Dean took his time folding the paper while I undid the button of his fly and half the length of his zipper. After he tossed the paper to the other end of the couch, he propped his elbow on the armrest and tilted his cheek against his thumb and forefinger. “And what’s that?”

He didn’t stop me from pressing my breasts up on his thighs, my face close enough to his crotch that he had to feel the heat of my breath when I parted the sides of his jeans. He wasn’t wearing underwear like he sometimes didn’t, and I blew air over his semi-erect length. “Your cock.”

“Mmm. Show me how you need it, then.” My nipples peaked with the low tone of his voice. I’d missed that, him, the subtle squint of his eyes while he waited to see if I’d follow his instruction—but there was no question. I complied, my mouth over him in half a second as a moan escaped my throat. I ran my tongue along his length and tried to part his jeans farther for better access, and Dean cupped his hand over the back of my head, using the slightest pressure to goad me on that made me squeeze my knees together. The swell of my clit had reached unbearable, and we’d only started. Dean inhaled when I struggled to free the entirety of his cock, because I wanted my lips down to the root of him but couldn’t get there with the block of his jeans. I sucked hard and lifted my fingertips to his waistband before Dean caught my hands and clasped them together against his chest. “Not yet, kitten.”

I dragged my mouth up and down, the taste of him rapidly overcoming my every thought, and the friction of my lips along his delicious shaft making me pine for whatever he had planned for me. While I worked, Dean’s breath increased slightly. But he kept his cool, reaching for the rope and starting to unravel it over my head.

“Here’s what I’m thinking.” His voice trembled with my attempts to overwhelm him. I sometimes could, but he held firm, and I wished he didn’t hold my hands in place so I could wrap one around him. “I’m going to use this rope you’ve chosen—an excellent pick, by the way—to get you right where you need to be. Then we’re going to address that out-of-line sassiness from last night.” He caught my chin and forced up my head, and I made a desperate slurping sound with the pop of my mouth off of him. “Then, no more gentle. I’m going to fuck you, Maya, like you need to be fucked.”

I scurried off the floor, and he shuffled to leave room for my knee between the couch arm and his thigh as I straddled him. When I rested my wrists on his shoulders, Dean gazed between my thighs and up to my face.

“You’re going to make a mess of my jeans.”

“Am I?” I asked innocently, but my cheeks burned hot.

Dean’s response was the trace of one finger along the split of my pussy lips. My eyelids fluttered with the tease of his tip inside. Then he traced the rim of my entrance in a circle that had me hoisting my shoulders up.

Jade A. Waters is an erotica author and poetess in sunny California. A lover of candy, coffee, dancing, and endless karaoke, she is happiest when surrounded by words—be they on the page or shared in good conversation. Her short fiction and poetry is featured in over a dozen anthologies from Cleis Press and Stupid Fish Productions, and currently, Jade is hard at work on her next project. Visit her at http://jadeawaters.com, or follow her at http://twitter.com/jadeawaters.

]]>http://news.malinjames.com/2017/06/15/new-release-reward-book-3-jade-waters/feed/0378Review: Baby Love by Emmanuelle de Maupassanthttp://news.malinjames.com/2017/04/11/review-baby-love-emmanuelle-de-maupassant/
http://news.malinjames.com/2017/04/11/review-baby-love-emmanuelle-de-maupassant/#commentsTue, 11 Apr 2017 17:28:47 +0000http://news.malinjames.com/?p=372Disclaimer: I tend to love everything Emmanuelle de Maupassant writes, so, at this point, I basically expect to love everything she writes. That said, after decades of selling, pimping and reviewing books, I’m basically incapable of saying I like something when I don’t, so, no matter how much I love someone’s work, I won’t claim […]

]]>Disclaimer: I tend to love everything Emmanuelle de Maupassant writes, so, at this point, I basically expect to love everything she writes. That said, after decades of selling, pimping and reviewing books, I’m basically incapable of saying I like something when I don’t, so, no matter how much I love someone’s work, I won’t claim to like something just because it was written by one of my go-to authors. My thoughts and enthusiasm are completely genuine, even if not totally surprising.

And now, my review of Baby Love by Emmanuelle de Maupassant….

Review:

March was a busy, hectic month full of deadlines and lots of reading for work, so when I finally got to sit down with Emmanuelle de Maupassant’s new novelette, Baby Love, I was really ready for something that would help me relax and feel good. Happily, I had a feeling Baby Love was going to be it, and I was right.

Baby Love is basically what would happen if Bridget Jones were a person I actually liked. While I’ve always been able to see the appeal of Helen Fielding’s adorably hapless Bridget, there was something in those books that felt a bit too precious to be believed. I always wanted to get on board, but I and just couldn’t seem to. Unlike Bridget though, I was more than on board for Delphine, Emmanuelle de Maupassant’s charming, very charming, and very pregnant heroine.

Here’s a quick synopsis:

When her husband leaves her when she’s eight months pregnant, Delphine, quite understandably, has a meltdown – a good, proper, cathartic meltdown like anyone would have under those circumstances. But her meltdown, while being genuinely funny, is also genuinely relatable. de Maupassant gives the reader the feeling that you are sharing Delphine’s experience, rather than having an experience performed for your entertainment. It’s that genuine quality that pulled me on board from the first page, and held on to be through the last.

The thing that made the difference for me is that Delphine’s story felt real and lovely and sweet, rather than arch or performed. There is so much warmth and humor in this short little gem, but it’s touching and a little raunchy in the way real life is. It’s a romantic story, for sure, but it’s also full of hormones and longing and bodies behaving in ways you don’t expect. It’s the whole package of an experience – sexy, sad, funny, lovely, adorable, hopeful. In short, it’s exactly what I needed when I needed a lovely, beautifully written, thoroughly enjoyable break.

Baby Love is a quick read – I powered through it in under an hour and felt like I’d been to the spa myself by the end. I can’t recommend it enough. It was the perfect springtime treat from an author that can, as far as I can see, write in any style she likes with a facility that’s hard to beat.

Get the book!

Baby Love is available on Kindle for 99c/99p through mid-May. Or, if you like the feel of a book in your hands, you can get it in paperback too. Just head over to:

]]>http://news.malinjames.com/2017/04/11/review-baby-love-emmanuelle-de-maupassant/feed/2372Giving an (Alternative) Fuckhttp://news.malinjames.com/2017/03/20/giving-an-alternative-fuck/
http://news.malinjames.com/2017/03/20/giving-an-alternative-fuck/#commentsMon, 20 Mar 2017 13:43:11 +0000http://news.malinjames.com/?p=345What do you do when the world feels like it’s spinning off its axis? If you’re a writer, you humanize ways of being that have become political targets. If you’re a publisher, you put together an anthology that celebrates alternative points of view and donate the proceeds to the ACLU – which is what Go Deeper […]

]]>What do you do when the world feels like it’s spinning off its axis? If you’re a writer, you humanize ways of being that have become political targets. If you’re a publisher, you put together an anthology that celebrates alternative points of view and donate the proceeds to the ACLU – which is what Go Deeper Press has done.

Alternative Fucksis a response to the political landscape we find ourselves in. Many of us have the luxury of resisting from comparatively safe quarters, while others find themselves on the front lines due to nothing more than their status as immigrants, refugees or non-middle class white cis males. With programs and social aide being actively defunded, organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union have become critical in ensuring that marginalized populations receive legal support and representation.

As a way of promoting the collection and raising as much money as possible, some of the authors involved with the project are answering a few questions that give a peek into our own histories as human people living in the world…because that is, essentially, what we all are – human people trying to live in the world as best we can. You can read the other authors responses by clicking these links:

So if you’re a human person living in the world who wants to support other human people, have a read and pick up the collection. A story from my upcoming collection, Roadhouse Blues, is in there, plus awesome work from other bad-ass Go Deeper authors too. They are a fiercely brilliant bunch. You get sexy stories, and the ACLU gets money. That’s a win on all fronts.

The Questions:

1. What group did you hang out with in high school?

Theater kid me (c. 1995)

I was a theater kid. My years in high school were defined by the plays I was in. My best friend was the first boy to come out in our school as gay, (which was a big deal in the early 90’s), and the awesome girl who stage managed the shows was a Muslim transfer student.

Despite the fact that I went to a seriously Catholic high school, my friends were treated with genuine respect by teachers and students alike, which is why, when I see people from religious backgrounds fail to treat others with similar empathy and humanity, it boggles my mind. I remember an eighty year old Catholic priest encouraging an openly gay kid to compose music for the choir because “God doesn’t care who you love”. If Father Rob could do that, then the current presidential administration could attempt to not legally stigmatize people based on race, sexuality or economic circumstance.

Side Note: My contribution, “Skins”, which will appear with its siblings in Roadhouse Blues, draws on my time as an actor, which started with those early experiences in high school.

2. What is the dirtiest story you’ve ever read?

The Story of the Eye by Bataille. I read it as a freshman in college. It cracked my head right open and will forever define “filthy” for me.

3. What if your favorite movie and why?

This is an impossible question because I break favorites down into category – favorite action movie, favorite classic, favorite Christmas movie, etc. – and even then I end up with a top three. That said, a few consistently rise to the top, and my favorites of that bunch are Clue (seriously, I fucking LOVE Clue) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

I’ve seen Clue so many times I can literally quote the whole thing and it still makes me laugh, and Dracula pretty much because the bedrock of my sexual development so…yeah. I will always love it despite it’s flaws, none of which outweigh Gary Oldman’s sheer, scenery chomping magnificence.

4. What is right by your side while you are writing?

Tea and post-it notes.

5. Describe your dream vacation.

Somewhere very cold with a fireplace and books…and champagne…and bread with really good butter. And maybe some pastry that also involves really good butter. And more champagne and extra books. Just in case.

]]>http://news.malinjames.com/2017/03/20/giving-an-alternative-fuck/feed/5345Roadhouse Blues Cover Reveal (!!!)http://news.malinjames.com/2017/03/16/roadhouse-blues-cover/
http://news.malinjames.com/2017/03/16/roadhouse-blues-cover/#respondThu, 16 Mar 2017 17:46:53 +0000http://news.malinjames.com/?p=349Last month, Jacob Louder and Lana Fox gave me one of the best birthday presents I’ve ever received – the cover for Roadhouse Blues. It’s retro and stylie and sleek and adorable, and I’m so goddamn in love with it that 3 weeks later, I still can’t quite express it. Covers are tricky. It’s easy to […]

Last month, Jacob Louder and Lana Fox gave me one of the best birthday presents I’ve ever received – the cover for Roadhouse Blues. It’s retro and stylie and sleek and adorable, and I’m so goddamn in love with it that 3 weeks later, I still can’t quite express it.

Covers are tricky. It’s easy to end up with mixed feelings about the face your book gets, but the fact that Go Deeper Press is my dream publisher made the prospect far more exciting than it was nerve-wracking. I knew that whatever Jake came up with, it was going to be perfect. The only surprise was that “perfect” ended up being even more perfect than I thought it would be.

So, here it is – the cover reveal for Roadhouse Blues. There’ll be more news coming as the summer release gets closer, but if you’re interested in a sneak peek, “Skins”, one the the stories from Roadhouse Blues is currently in Alternative Fucks, a separate collection Go Deeper put together to raise funds for the ACLU. It’s a fierce, brilliant bunch of stories from a fierce, brilliant bunch of writers, so please check it out.

In the meantime, I’m getting back editing Roadhouse. My baby has a beautiful face. The stories have to match.

]]>http://news.malinjames.com/2017/03/16/roadhouse-blues-cover/feed/0349Review: Highland Pursuits…the Novelhttp://news.malinjames.com/2017/03/01/new-release-highland-pursuits-the-novel/
http://news.malinjames.com/2017/03/01/new-release-highland-pursuits-the-novel/#commentsWed, 01 Mar 2017 07:49:05 +0000http://news.malinjames.com/?p=334REVIEW: Late last year, I reviewed Emmanuelle de Maupassant’s short story, “Highland Pursuits”, which appeared in Because Beards, an anthology that benefited the Movember Foundation for men’s health. You can read my (super gushy) review here but, suffice to say, I loved the stockings off that story – so much so that I privately wished […]

Late last year, I reviewed Emmanuelle de Maupassant’s short story, “Highland Pursuits”, which appeared in Because Beards, an anthology that benefited the Movember Foundation for men’s health. You can read my (super gushy) review here but, suffice to say, I loved the stockings off that story – so much so that I privately wished Emmanuelle de Maupassant would turn it into a novel. Happily, she did just that.

Highland Pursuits the novel is a wry, clever, incredibly sexy romp that reads as if it were written by Julian Fellowes’s tongue-in-cheek, worldly-wise sister. Emmanuelle de Maupassant makes the most of the fabulous possibilities that might arise for a modern young woman, banished to a remote manor house in the 1920’s. As one might imagine, hijinks ensue and they are everything one could hope for.

The thing that I especially loved about the novelization of this story is that Ms. de Maupassant did more than just expand on everything that worked so beautifully in the short story. She developed aspects of it that I couldn’t have anticipated but which led to a deeply convincing tapestry of period fiction. We get a sense of the house’s eccentric, wealthy denizens from below-stairs now, as well as a greater sense of Ophelia’s singularity as a young woman exploring her sexuality in the 1920’s.

The romance between the protagonists unfolds in a way that is both convincing and adorably star-crossed, while the rest of the cast colors the book with so much personality that the book pops with fizz and life. It’s a completely engrossing, utterly enjoyable read, and I can’t recommend it highly enough, especially if you always wished that PG Wodehouse and Stella Gibbons had written the naughty bits. It’s fabulously fun, and yet one more example of Emmanuelle de Maupassant’s talents – not only as a writer, but as a literary chameleon.

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR:

Emmanuelle de Maupassant is thrilled to announce the launch of her saucy 1920s romance romp: ‘Highland Pursuits’.

1920s debutante Lady Ophelia Finchingfield is banished to wildest Scotland to come to her senses, having refused a proposal from the Earl of Woldershire. In the care of her eccentric grandmother, Ophelia is soon caught between rugged widower Hamish and the villainous Comte de Montefiore.

She’s ready to play with fire, but will she burn more than her fingers?

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:

I can’t tell you how much I love this book. It was a true delight to read. The author has captured 1920s Britain wonderfully, and her detail is exquisite. – Rachel De Vine

‘Highland Pursuits’ draws inspiration from a short story of the same title Emmanuelle wrote originally for the charity fundraising anthologyBecause Beards: all proceeds have been given to the Movember Foundation.

This longer, novella, length offers more scope to explore the wonderful characters’ eye-popping shenanigans. Hamish and Ophelia were in Emmanuelle’s dreams for many weeks, as she wrote this story.

Pssst… if you enjoy Highland Pursuits, don’t forget to leave a review. Reviews make books more visible online, bringing new eyes. If you’re on Twitter or Facebook, tag Emmanuelle in your review post and she’ll say hello.

]]>http://news.malinjames.com/2017/03/01/new-release-highland-pursuits-the-novel/feed/1334The Assignment: An Interview with Jade A. Waters (!!!)http://news.malinjames.com/2016/12/20/assignment-interview-jade-waters/
http://news.malinjames.com/2016/12/20/assignment-interview-jade-waters/#commentsTue, 20 Dec 2016 16:56:22 +0000http://news.malinjames.com/?p=327Earlier this month, Jade A. Waters released The Assignment, the first book in her three part series, Lessons in Control. Ethically speaking, I couldn’t review it because A. I helped beta it, B. She’s my best friend, and C. I am not at all unbiased so I’d probably just shout things like –> BUT IT’S SO […]

]]>Earlier this month, Jade A. Waters released The Assignment, the first book in her three part series, Lessons in Control. Ethically speaking, I couldn’t review it because A. I helped beta it, B. She’s my best friend, and C. I am not at all unbiased so I’d probably just shout things like –> BUT IT’S SO FUCKING GOOD BELIEVE ME AND READ IT.

So, rather than do an (biased but TOTALLY accurate review), I asked Ms. Waters if she’d like to do an interview. She said yes so plans were made – plans that involved a pedicure and drinks over a long lunch. Sadly, I got sick and had to cancel for the first time ever in our friendship. Luckily, she didn’t mind typing in the answers to the questions because she’s awesome.

And so, without further ado, my interview with Jade A. Waters.

We’ve talked a lot over the course of our friendship about how the spark for The Assignment came from a very powerful personal experience. What did it feel like writing from that place? Did it ever feel like it was getting too intense?

Oh, that’s a good one, Malin. I mentioned over at Xan West’s place the other day what the actual spark for The Assignment was, and of course, as you know, there was indeed that powerful personal experience you just mentioned built in, too. I’ve referred to that often as “getting turned out,” and applying it to the book was…well, it was something. Honestly, I’m not sure I was aware that I was writing from that place until later in the process. I wrote the book in the aftermath of the breakup from that very relationship, and I poured all my energy/tension/pain into creating it…but it wasn’t until I went back in to edit that I saw exactly what you described. Add to that the fact that I’ve said Maya’s got a lot of me in her—her troubled past is a rework of my own—so I’d say overall it was both cathartic and challenging. There were periods in working on the book [and the subsequent series] that I was in real life working on my own demons from past experiences that so closely paralleled Maya’s. It was, in some ways, exciting and healing to rake her over the coals and have her work through similar issues. On the other hand, there were times I was like oh my fucking god why did I make her history so like mine because I don’t want to do this right now. They were extremely specific moments in the book—perhaps the spots you once mentioned to me you found “not hard…but real”—and so while I wouldn’t say it was too intense, it required some emotional stamina and fortitude. It was a good growth experience. And healing for Maya and me, both, I guess.

So, Dean and Maya. How has your relationship to those two crazy kids changed over the course of writing the three books? Do you feel like writing their relationship affected you as a person?

Ha ha. These kids! Having written the entire series, I kind of do look at them as a form of kids! Ushering them here, there, trying to get them to listen to what I’m telling them to do and yet watching them do whatever they want as characters tend to do (punks). J Initially, they were hugely connected to me. Maya was a lot of me, and Dean—while not the guy I just mentioned in your last question—had taken little specks of influence from him. However, by book two, Maya had grown and morphed tremendously. She was a real person to begin with, and then she was tackling all these awesome things in ways that inspired me. Dean, meanwhile, was no longer the man I originally pictured him as. He was growing, too, with several character traits that both excited me and would never work for me in a man in real life. That was interesting to work with…but also great for me in a growth manner. Taking them from the real life experience they were based on and progressing them forward, then even further, made them more complicated and intriguing. I think it strengthened my writing, too—and, perhaps weirdly, what I find attractive in relationships in real life.

However, while their progression developed them and me, I actually feel more separated from them now than I did at first. Maybe it’s because they ran their full course in my head? We have spent some good quality time together, these kids and me, for sure…but I feel like they made it exactly where they needed to be, and that’s good. That feels good.

What is it about Dean that made him super, dreamy appealing to you as a hero?

Besides his stunning dark features? (Because those usually win me over.) Initially, I loved that dominant edge. I found that sexy in the period I wrote the book, but I have long loved men who are a bit on the playful side, too. In fact, that is what appeals to me most in Dean, throughout the series. I like playful people. However, I also loved that he had his shit together. He knew what he wanted. He was direct. These are all traits that turn me on in real life, so I was happy to provide that as companionship for Miss Maya.

If you could have a little heart to heart with Maya, what would you tell her (bearing in mind that you’re kind of her mama, since you created her).

Ahh. This is such a sweet question! Hmmm. I think I would say, “Baby girl, you’re going to grow. You’re going to change. Sometimes, it’s gonna hurt. But you’re going to be stronger, and you’re going to find everything you’re seeking, in time, both in your heart and in your soul. Freedom—in every way? It’s yours. Just let your heart run free.”

I was fortunate to be one of your beta readers on this book, so I’ve seen it morph and change and deepen over the process of your writing it. Does it read, now, like what you imagined in your head? Or did it become something new and unexpected? Did the novel ever surprise you?

And I LOVE YOU to pieces for that! You were such a wonderful beta reader, I can’t get over how helpful you were. Thank you a million times over! As to the book, it’s so much better than it was when it started. I mean, I loved it to begin with, and then I had fabulous feedback from you and Tamsin Flowers, and it got even better. Then came my agent and editor (and more with my editor) and it’s definitely grown into a stronger book. I think it was always a little bit “deeper” than a light and fluffy erotic romance, for me, and through all the edits it’s grown more valuable in that regard, in my opinion. It’s richer, in many ways.

Your prose style is very dreamy and lyrical – was that ever a conscious choice, or did it develop naturally? Do you ever feel like your poetry colors your prose?

I love that you describe it that way! I feel that way too…and I’m not sure how that happened, but yes, I think it goes back to my early poetry, in high school, for sure. I was constantly writing about my pain with the boys I was dating (oh, the drama), and I had all these symbols I liked to use then—roses and petals and drowning flowers and such. (Like I said, oh, the drama.) In time it grew more flowy…somehow a bunch of water elements started getting worked in, and it came together somehow. I get a little trance-like when I write, and I like to feel like I’m getting swept along in my work, so I think that may be helping it translate to the page, especially with all the poetry writing.

NOOOOoooooo! I have to choose? Crap. Um….okay, Hugh. For sure. Channing has some AMAZING moves (we both saw Magic Mike 1 and 2, hello), but I’ve always had eyes for Hugh. He’s the whole package. Granted, I fell for him as Wolverine but then discovered his tap dancing song-singing goodness (also, those abs) and I’m 100% convinced that while he’s married, it’s his starter marriage. He’s obviously practicing for me. Jade Jackman sounds incredible, doesn’t it?

Maya’s relationship to Selby is really strong and very well developed. How important was it to you that their friendship occupy a healthy slice of the emotional real estate in this book?

I love my friends. I cherish you people to death. I am also extremely loyal to those I love, and will pretty much do anything for these people. So, Maya of course needed to have that connection to someone. Selby is a beautiful mix of a couple wonderful women I know, and I loved getting to play Maya—who’s had a rough go—alongside perfectly domestic and sweetheart Selby, especially with her innocent, vanilla past. Their relationship deepened in edits, too, thanks to some comments made by my editor, and I love how their connection flourished in later editions. Friends are important, and The Assignment couldn’t solely be about Maya and her romantic interest all the time. Oh, and fun fact—one of our rejections along the way was that the book seemed to have a lot to do with Maya and Selby. I laughed that one off, because I wanted her to be a whole person with rich friendships.

If you couldn’t paint your toenails blue, what color would you paint them?

Ha ha. I am pretty obsessed with blue toenails, aren’t I? (Which is funny since my favorite color is red and I refuse to paint my toenails red.) I guess purple? But the flower on the big toes is a critical piece, as you know!

You’ve told me that way high on your list of places to go is the Galapagos Islands. Why the Galapagos Islands? I’ve always wondered.

Really? That’s funny. I love tropical and/or island destinations. Always have, always will. Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Curaçao, Greece, Rovinj—these were places I went and treasured, that definitely surpassed Paris and most of my stops in Italy. I liked those trips, but I love the water, sun, and sky. I don’t know if this is true, but I heard that the Galapagos Islands were soon going to get blocked from tourism to preserve the animal life there, and I decided I needed to visit before that happened. I wanted to see the life and enjoy the tropical elements. You know what’s weird, though, about my tropical destination obsession? I hate being in direct sun because I burn too easily and run too hot, I am allergic to mosquitos (I get huge quarter sized bites and they love eating me alive), and I’m not a swimmer. So basically I enjoy these trips and have some definite moments of suffering, usually while under an umbrella on a beach for no more than an hour at a time. And covered in light fabric!

Okay, I know you don’t like champagne (I will never understand this) so what did you drink to celebrate the release of The Assignment?

I can’t even believe I didn’t drink anything but coconut milk lattes that day. How did that happen?! If I had enjoyed a drink, though, I would have gone for sambuca or a whiskey sour.

What do you absolutely love about this book? (I know how critical of yourself you are, so this question is really just a poorly disguised attempt to make you say nice things about you).

Jeezus. Thanks, lady, no pressure…hmm… Okay, I love that this book made me a stronger writer, and that I got to carry it farther than one single book. I love Maya’s growth—I feel like her path through both book one and the whole Lessons in Control series was inspiring (at least for me!). And I honestly love a couple sex scenes in there, a ton. Yes, I adore writing real people with real personalities solving real problems…but I do write erotica for a reason! I enjoyed watching Maya grow through her sexual experiences with Dean.

Oh, and that rain scene. You know how much I love the rain scene, and I will never shut up about how much I love the rain scene!

Thank you so much for having me over today, Malin, and for these beautiful questions—plus our beautiful friendship. MUAH!

For more on The Assignment, visit Jade’s official site. And to buy the sexy first installment in the Lessons of Control series, head over to the usual suspects, click and enjoy.

]]>http://news.malinjames.com/2016/12/20/assignment-interview-jade-waters/feed/1327Review: For the Men & The Women Who Love Themhttp://news.malinjames.com/2016/12/16/review-for-the-men-the-women-who-love-them/
http://news.malinjames.com/2016/12/16/review-for-the-men-the-women-who-love-them/#commentsFri, 16 Dec 2016 21:46:56 +0000http://news.malinjames.com/?p=321I’ve been looking forward to reading For the Men and the Women Who Love Them, Rose Caraway’s newest anthology, for months. Now that things on are slowing down as Christmas approaches, I’ve had a few evenings free to read for fun, which is great because it’s the perfect time of year for fun (in both written […]

]]>I’ve been looking forward to reading For the Men and the Women Who Love Them, Rose Caraway’s newest anthology, for months. Now that things on are slowing down as Christmas approaches, I’ve had a few evenings free to read for fun, which is great because it’s the perfect time of year for fun (in both written and unwritten forms), even better when the fun makes a sneaky, subversive point.

The thing I love about Rose Caraways’s anthologies is that they combine balls to the wall, sexy fun with a real social consciousness. The Sexy Librarian believes in sex positivity for all – cis, queer, male, female, trans, old, young, feminists, humanists, conservatives, liberals, proud sluts, monogamous lovers…in other words, pretty much everyone. As a result, she brings a remarkable amount of empathy and positivity to the anthologies she narrates and edits.

For the Men is classic Rose Caraway in that way. I don’t usually say this about erotica anthologies, but seriously, read the introduction. It’s an empowering essay in support of a guy’s right to enjoy erotica just as much as women do – an idea that should be a no brainer, but is still met with a surprising amount of stigma. Rose Caraway’s passion for inclusive sexuality shines out hard in that introduction, and it sets the perfect tone for the rest of the anthology.

It’s tough to pick a favorite in For the Men, especially when a huge chunk of my favorite authors are in the list of contributors. The Table of Contents literally reads like an all-star list of kick-ass veterans and shiny up-and-comers. Allan Dusk’s freaky, funky, genre-bending fuck fest is like nothing I’ve ever read, which means it’s vintage Allan Dusk. If you’ve never read him before, A. you should and B. “Wayward Drift” is a pretty great place to start.

“73A”, and adorable repair man fantasy by Jade A. Waters has been a favorite of mine since she let me read the first draft (not sure if I should even be admitting to that, but she’s my best friend so whatever. I’d love it even if she weren’t). Same with Tamsin Flowers’s “Rope Burn”. God, that woman knows her stuff. The fact that she can write about sexy barrel racers in a way that makes this city girl sit up is a testament to her talent.

Adrea Core’s gorgeously lush “Dance For Me” brings cage dancing and submission to a completely feline and intuitive conclusion, while Charlie Powell’s “Winning Big” is a sexy, empathetic and deeply touching portrait of the ex that complicates your present as much as your past. I’m not quite sure how to begin describing how much I enjoyed Rachel de Vine’s “The Hitchhiker” but what I can say is that I would love to see more of Hermes and Miss Jezebel in the future. And then there’s “Labyrinth” by Emmanuelle de Maupassant. Oh, this story…monsters, mazes…it’s a lovely, masterful, deeply erotic nod to Greek mythology, and I loved it.

There are so many beauties in here – while the stories I mentioned above are the one’s I especially loved, every single contributor brought it, and the result is an anthology that anyone could love. It’s a truly inclusive collection, one that I could see men enjoying on their own or with their partners. It’s a hell of an achievement and no surprise that Rose Caraway pulled it off and then some.

For the Men and the Women Who Love Them is available in print and ebook from Amazon and Amazon UK, and in audio (narrated by Rose Caraway) at Audible.com.

]]>http://news.malinjames.com/2016/12/16/review-for-the-men-the-women-who-love-them/feed/6321New Release: Coming Together Under the Mistletoehttp://news.malinjames.com/2016/12/09/new-release-coming-together-mistletoe/
http://news.malinjames.com/2016/12/09/new-release-coming-together-mistletoe/#respondFri, 09 Dec 2016 19:56:53 +0000http://news.malinjames.com/?p=318I’m one of those people who has six pairs of Christmas socks tucked away in a drawer, waiting for December 1st, (I’m wearing a pair covered in penguins wearing Santa hats right now). I listen to start listening to Christmas carols when the pie comes out on Thanksgiving, and I kind of, maybe, totally know […]

]]>I’m one of those people who has six pairs of Christmas socks tucked away in a drawer, waiting for December 1st, (I’m wearing a pair covered in penguins wearing Santa hats right now). I listen to start listening to Christmas carols when the pie comes out on Thanksgiving, and I kind of, maybe, totally know A Muppet Christmas Carol by heart. I love Christmas – not for the presents (though who doesn’t like presents) – but for what it tends to bring out in people.

Christmas, and the holidays in general, are a kind of universal signal to give a little more, be a little more kind, and to try to make being a human being as nice as possible, even if only for a few weeks in the middle of the cold, dark winter. Doing something for others is a big part of that, so when Delilah Night asked if I would donate a story to a Christmas anthology to benefit Project Linus, I said absolutely yes.

Project Linus supplies kids and families in need with blankets. It seems like a small thing, but if you’ve ever seen a little person snuggled up safe under a blanket that’s been loved to literal pieces, you know that small things actually mean quite a lot.

For every copy of Under the Mistletoe that gets sold, Coming Together will make a donation to Project Linus, which means that you get to do something good for humanity, and read top shelf seasonal erotica all at once. What’s not to love about that?

“Green Lady”, my story in Coming Together Under the Mistletoe, is a throwback to the Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a story packed with ordeals surrounding a lady and a deeply corruptible knight. Naturally, it’s an ideal contender for an erotic adaptation.

I’m including a small snippet as a lure (kids need blankets, remember?), so if you like what you read, please do consider buying the whole anthology. I’ll include buy links, as well as an opportunity to win a free copy below.

from “The Green Lady” by Malin James:

She enters without knocking, very quietly, so that he might pretend to be asleep. They often do, and so does he, but she knows his sleep is feigned. She can see his eyes flickering beneath pale lids fringed by lashes as thick as a girl’s. The effect is so sweet that she smiles. His pretense of sleep and pretty face defy the scars that mark his hands. He has hands like her husband’s, and a face like hers used to be.

She knows her role so well that she could play it in her sleep. And yet, as she bends over the bed, she feels a swell of arousal that she hasn’t felt in years. She kisses his cheeks, relishing the brush of his beard against her lips before moving to his brows and mouth. He stirs unconvincingly, like a boy caught in a dream. She chuckles in spite of herself. The tension coming off him shatters any illusion of sleep.

Normally, she would have roused him with every appearance of virtue. But her arousal makes her impatient. Watching him carefully, she draws the covers back and climbs up on the bed. He shifts as she straddles him, but does not open his eyes, so she moves aside the folds of her robe so her skin touches his.

]]>http://news.malinjames.com/2016/12/09/new-release-coming-together-mistletoe/feed/0318Review: Highland Pursuits by Emmanuelle de Maupassanthttp://news.malinjames.com/2016/11/01/review-highland-pursuits-by-emmanuelle-de-maupassant/
http://news.malinjames.com/2016/11/01/review-highland-pursuits-by-emmanuelle-de-maupassant/#commentsTue, 01 Nov 2016 19:09:29 +0000http://news.malinjames.com/?p=311I read “Highland Pursuits”, Emmanuelle de Maupassant’s contribution to Because Beards, a charity anthology that benefits The Movember Foundation, a few weeks ago, and I have to say that I gobbled it up. de Maupassant’s novel, The Gentleman’s Club, as well as her collection, Cautionary Tales, established her as a singular voice in the erotica, as did her […]

]]>I read “Highland Pursuits”, Emmanuelle de Maupassant’s contribution to Because Beards, a charity anthology that benefits The Movember Foundation, a few weeks ago, and I have to say that I gobbled it up.

de Maupassant’s novel, The Gentleman’s Club, as well as her collection, Cautionary Tales, established her as a singular voice in the erotica, as did her tireless work surveying erotica writers on all aspects of the genre and craft. She’s become, in a very short time, one of erotica’s leading authorities and champions, so the bar is set quite high on anything she writes. Unsurprisingly, she not only meets but exceeds all expectations once again with “Highland Pursuits”.

Emmanuelle de Maupasant’s erotica is truly different – intelligent, cheeky, sexy and full of the sly charm, qualities that are especially on display in “Highland Pursuits”. It’s as if Stella Gibbons (who wrote Cold Comfort Farm, a snarky, hilarious romp through the English countryside in the 1920’s) had written an erotic romance, with it’s sophisticated, modern girl shipped off to the wilds to make her way.

And yet, for all its tongue-in-cheekiness, the main character truly is modern in that she allows herself different sexual experiences without guilt or shame. By the time the story comes full circle to its properly romantic ending, you have the sense that she has become a young woman in full possession of herself and that any marriage she makes will be one in which she can autonomously enjoy both her own sexuality and that of her husband.

Based on the strength of “Highland Pursuits” I’m greatly looking forward to reading the rest of the collection now that it’s released, all the more so for it’s raising funds for, and awareness of, men’s health issues. Emmanuelle de Maupassant is one of my favorite authors writing in this genre, and I’m pleased to say that my estimation of her grows with every story I read. She is brilliant and different in the best of ways. If you’re looking for “erotica for the discerning mind” she cannot be bested.

Benefit research for men’s healthy issues and Buy Because Beards! It’s available in ebook form at Amazon and Amazon.uk

]]>http://news.malinjames.com/2016/11/01/review-highland-pursuits-by-emmanuelle-de-maupassant/feed/2311On Hidden Power: Lana Fox & Maddie Aflame!http://news.malinjames.com/2016/10/05/on-hidden-power-lana-fox-maddie-aflame/
http://news.malinjames.com/2016/10/05/on-hidden-power-lana-fox-maddie-aflame/#commentsWed, 05 Oct 2016 16:41:59 +0000http://news.malinjames.com/?p=301News, News, News! The Swallowing Mansion, Maddie Aflame! Book 1 is now available! Not to get all bossy and pushy, but GO BUY IT NOW! You can find it at Amazon, Amazon UK, and at Go Deeper Press. And now, for the final post in the Maddie, Aflame! series… For this final post on Lana […]

For this final post on Lana Fox’s newly released series, Maddie Aflame!, I want to focus on one of the story’s strongest messages—finding power in weakness.

It won’t spoil anything to say that Maddie struggles with more than an oppressive government with an conservative agenda. She has Combustion Syndrome, a disease that, when triggered, causes her body to combust from the inside out. While the ability to heal is part of the Syndrome, episodes leave her burned and weak, and are, quite honestly, a little terrifying.

By the time the book opens, Maddie has become hyperaware of what triggers the Syndrome and why, but the its aggression has caused Maddie to shrink into herself and fear what is, essentially, an integral part of her body. It doesn’t help that Combustion Syndrome is widely viewed as an affliction and misfortune. It’s certainly not seen as an asset. But, in a lovely turn of fate, the disease that she fears and considers her greatest weakness, may be the only thing that will help her save the people she loves.

As Maddie progresses through the book, she learns to stop fearing the disease and draw strength from it. Sex plays a large role in this and, as she awakens sexually, she finds incomparable power not only in the Syndrome, but in the many ways she can wield it as a defense. She just needs to learn to trust herself.

Maddie’s relationship to Combustion Syndrome also mirrors the struggles faced by the queer community in the series. When the book opens, being LGBTQ makes you vulnerable to attack and victimization. In fact, being queer is seen as a weakness to be exploited and eradicated. But…the vulnerability that comes with being queer in this world is also a source of strength, just like Maddie’s disease.

The sense of strength and unity that the LGBTQ community forms in response to its vulnerability is one of its greatest strengths. In fact, it’s that reactive inner strength that pushes Aud, Raj, Pike and Maddie to tap deep wells of compassion, and it’s that compassion that allows them to fight back.

It’s a useful message for all of us because we all have things that make us feel weak, or vulnerable or at a disadvantage. Life would be much easier if none of us were different, or had challenges to contend with. But we would also be missing opportunities to exercise strengths we didn’t know we had. As a journey of discovery for Maddie, it’s a wonderful lesson for everyone, and the fact that it’s wrapped up in a sexy, fast-paced, cracking adventure, make it all the better.